As a non-diet dietitian, I am regularly reminding people that all foods can fit. Seriously, all foods! Sometimes this message gets misconstrued as “only eat ‘junk’ food all the time” and people begin to wonder how this non-diet approach can actually be health-promoting.

While I truly do advocate for enjoying all of the foods that you love, it would not feel very good to only eat decadent treats all day every day. It is possible to pursue health, eat to fuel your body, and also enjoy what you are eating all at the same time.

What is gentle nutrition?

Gentle nutrition is the tenth principle of the Intuitive Eating framework. Gentle nutrition is a flexible, non-diet approach to healthy eating. Rather than aiming to eat as little as possible, this approach utilizes a combination of your body’s wants and needs along with your nutrition knowledge.

What does a balanced meal look like?

You’ve probably heard the advice of “all foods in moderation” or “just eat a balanced diet” before. But what does this actually mean? How do you know if your eating style is “balanced”?

Not to increase the vague-ness of this concept even more, but balance truly looks different for everyone. In fact, balance will even look different for you from week to week. Some weeks you might go to the grocery store, meal prep, and have nutrient-dense and satisfying meals each day. Maybe the following week you are limited on time so you are not able to get a lot of groceries or plan for your meals so things are more “grab and go”. Such is life!

In my opinion, what classifies an approach as “balanced” is giving yourself permission to stop pursuing perfection. What even is “perfect eating” anyway?

Most of us are eating 21+ times each week. If a few of those meals are lacking on veggies or you don’t find the meals very satisfying, that’s okay because you will get so many more opportunities to eat again.

Non-diet tips for balanced meals

Ready to start putting this concept into practice? Here are a few tips to start creating balanced meals that you can actually work into your life without it feeling “forced”.

Consider your lifestyle and preferences

You know those meal prep videos where the 20-something gym rat spends all day Sunday in the kitchen and they have breakfast, lunch, and dinner cooked for the week? While this might seem like the “best” way to have your food prepared for the week, this approach is not realistic for most people. And if it is not sustainable for you, then it is not the “best” approach.

For me personally, the thought of eating the same dinner 6-7 days in a row sounds miserable. I enjoy a lot of variety in what I eat so meal prepping everything at once does not work for my lifestyle. I also have no interest in spending hours in the kitchen every weekend.

When deciding how to structure your food plans, consider your lifestyle, your schedule, who else is eating the food, the budget, how often you can get to the grocery store, and your food preferences (because enjoying the food you eat is important). A balanced approach goes far beyond just choosing “healthy” meals.

Related post: Meal Planning as an Intuitive Eater

Zoom out - look at the big picture

As mentioned earlier, you are likely eating 3+ times per day, 21+ times per week, 90+ times per month. If a few of those meals is less than balanced, that is okay. This will not “make or break” your health.

Sometimes I have cereal for dinner and sometimes I concoct a mean Cobb salad. This is balance, people!

non-diet tips for building balanced meals Dietitian Hannah

Utilize nutrition by addition

This is one of my favorite ways to practice balanced eating! Rather than worrying about the foods that you “should” remove from your diet, consider what you can add in instead.

For example, if you really want a cookie for a snack and you know that having a cookie or two on its own is not very filling, you might add a side of Greek yogurt and pistachios to go with it. By incorporating protein, fat, and fiber at each meal and snack, you will find that they are satisfying and keep you fuller for longer.

Related post: What is Nutrition by Addition?

Consider meal planning and prepping

As briefly mentioned above, meal planning and prepping looks different for everyone. I always describe meal prep as a spectrum. There are some people on one end of the spectrum who find it helpful to plan out every single meal and prep all of their meal before the week. Others find this method to be very overwhelming and time consuming and their preferred version of meal planning falls elsewhere on the spectrum. And that is okay! Meal planning and prep are meant to alleviate stress, not make your life more stressful.

When done in a non-diet-y fashion, meal prep can have many benefits such as saving you time and money, decreasing food waste, and helping you practice gentle nutrition.

Take note of what feels good

Do you have permission to eat fried chicken every single night? Of course, you’re an adult (I’m assuming). But how would you feel eating nothing but fried chicken? Chances are, your belly would be a little upset with you.

The non-diet approach does not mean eating all the things all the time. Instead, it encourages allowing all foods without judgement and learning to understand how they make you feel.

Bottom line - how to build a balanced meal

Eating a balanced diet is all about abandoning the “all or nothing” mindset and remembering that one meal will not “make or break” your health. Take a look at the big picture and find what works for you.

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Disclaimer: this post is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.